Deanna Skolos specializes in simplifying healthy living. Her blog, Simply Wellthy, streamlines the extensive research needed for beginning a healthy lifestyle that lasts. And her skincare line, Wellthy, offers clean and natural lip glosses, serums and body oils that are fragrance-free, preservative-free, toxin-free, and contain no endocrine disruptors.
Deanna is a busy Mama and entrepreneur with experience in women’s health. She holds a space for women to empower their pregnancy and labor experiences, and this post specifically focuses on the medical rights and decisions Mamas have in their journeys. Deanna has had both a hospital and home birth, and you can learn more about her birth stories on her blog.
Connect with Deanna:
INSTAGRAM – @simply_wellthy
WEBPAGE – https://simplywellthy.com
FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/Simply-Wellthy-348981345567336/
“Growing up, I thought giving birth was too hard and that I would absolutely need an epidural to get through it. I used to joke, I hope they can just put me to sleep and cut the baby out, so I don’t have to go through labor. I was terrified of the pain and fear revolving around childbirth.
It was a long road of information that eventually led me to having a natural, unmedicated birth, and when I used to tell friends from highschool that I did, they were shocked. Their response was often, ‘I could never!’ And it made me question…what happened where women began to think they weren’t capable of giving birth naturally and without medical intervention? Why is so much fear wrapped up in giving birth, and how can we regain that innate power? Why do we trust everything the doctors and medical industry suggest without question?
Women now, more than ever, are starting to desire natural, unmedicated labors as well as freedom of choice within hospitals. Some may need to go to a hospital for financial reasons but want to have the most natural labor possible, thinking that’s not feasible at a hospital. But it’s important to remember, hospitals and doctors cannot force you to do anything that goes against your own intuition. You are able to say no to many routine procedures and question, or even go against, their recommendations. You may get backlash, but at the end of the day, these are guidelines that you get to make informed decisions about.
My doctor wanted to induce me after 41 weeks. I was adamant I wanted to wait until 42 weeks before I thought about induction. She got stern with me and began to tell me the placenta could stop working, etc. and tried to instill fear in me. But I had done my research. I knew the average first baby is 8 days late, and due dates are just an estimate. So then why is 7 days late the standard to induce women? My gut told me to stand my ground, and I went into labor naturally 12 days late.
I share my experiences and research in hopes that I can empower Mamas to prioritize their wants and needs in pregnancy and delivery. Many of us aren’t even aware of the options and rights we have when it comes to our care. I don’t judge the choices that a Mama makes for herself or her family, but I make information attainable, so that you can make your own informed decisions.
What recommended medical routines and procedures are women able to decline?
You can decline the cervical check for dilation. It’s uncomfortable and even painful, but it can also introduce bacteria into the vaginal canal and increase the risk of infection. Your dilation and effacement are not even clear predictors of when you will go into labor.
I declined flu shots and whooping cough, even though they pushed it on me several times.
I declined both because I believe the ingredients (formaldehyde, heavy metals) that are in these shots can do more harm than the flu or whooping cough, if I were to even get it. Right after the baby was born, my husband had to tell the nurses present multiple times that we did not want vaccines or shots. We declined the Hep B shot and Vitamin K shot. They put the eye goop on her without us knowing, which was a bummer.
My pediatrician for Evelyn was more conservative. He actually informed me to not get Hep B shot for her because it is very outdated. He said it was implemented years ago and should not be a part of normal protocol. It is given in case the mom happens to have the STD Hepatitis B. In Australia, they test the mom to see if she has Hep B, then will give the vaccine if necessary, which is what America should do, rather than making it the standard for every single woman giving birth.
Delayed cord clamping is now common in hospitals, but it’s still good to ask if it’s something you are concerned about. Delaying it by 1-3 minutes has multiple benefits, including increasing your baby’s blood volume, allowing your baby to get more vital cord blood into their system, increasing your baby’s iron storage, and helping your baby’s brain development.
Research also shows that not wiping away the vernix right away (white stuff on your baby after they are born) may help fight off infections, help baby latch, and aid in neural connections needed for breastfeeding.
Now we know that we have options in terms of our care, but how do we speak up? During labor at a hospital, how did you handle communicating what you wanted? During routine appointments, were these just things you told the doctor or nurse?
It’s so important to have advocates, and I highly recommend a doula. They will advocate for what you want and will help you through labor mentally, emotionally, and physically. If your hospital is limited in terms of how many guests you can have, you can even FaceTime a doula, which is still helpful!
Nurses and doctors generally won’t look at your birth plan and will ultimately follow routine procedures. You may not be not fully present when in labor, so you will need a birth team that is prepared to speak for you. Regardless, have your advocate (doula, husband, mother) know exactly what you want and don’t want in all possible situations.
When you decline or say no, for whatever reason, some doctors can get upset or pushy. But just know it’s your body, it’s your baby, and these are your decisions. The practice can be driven by financial, legal, and scheduling reasons, but you have the power to prioritize you.
What are your takeaways from your home birth experience?
PROS OF A HOME BIRTH
+ You can have whoever you want present at your birth
+ Midwives trust that your body is made to give birth and empower your role
+ You get to sleep in your own bed
+ You don’t get woken up by nurses every 2 hours
+ No one is pressuring you to get an epidural, vaccinate or any additional and maybe unwanted things
+ A midwife stays with you the whole time, while doctors and nurses just come to check in once you’re pushing
+ At a hospital you are hooked up to all sorts of monitors, which is a nuisance when you need to go to the restroom
+ There is a much lower risk for c-section when with a midwife and at home
CONS OF A HOMEBIRTH:
– I didn’t realize how much stuff I would have to prep and provide for the home birth (towels and blankets that can get dirty, etc.)
– Labor is messy, and it was hard for me at times since it was my own bed because I’m kind of a clean freak haha
– Resting in my own home was difficult, since there was so much to clean and so much laundry to do!
(Midwives make you stay, ideally, bedridden for a week.)
– Having other children home wanting your attention while in labor and recovering can be overwhelming
My home birth experience was a million times better than my hospital experience. I had the same “complications” in both of my labors, but the hospital labor resulted in pitocin, my baby’s heart rate almost stopping, and a 4th degree episiotomy. My home birth resulted in no tearing, one hour labor and a very healthy baby! I think the reason for these two drastically different outcomes was a result of a midwife’s knowledge of positioning and allowing my body to take its time. My body knew how to do this, and she didn’t rush the natural process.
Having a midwife gave me the power over my body because I could personalize my journey with full support. I could decline the gestational diabetes glucose test, strepB tests, and essentially anything I didn’t feel necessary. It was the best feeling to have complete and total freedom of choice in my labor.
@wholisticwomenshealthcare offers personalized midwifery care to mamas in Orange County.
@Laurenslak is an amazing midwife in San Clemente.
What is the Business of Being Born documentary that you recommend? Who do you recommend to watch it? How did this documentary influence you?
This is a must-see documentary if you are pregnant. It starts out with the history of hospitals and how hospitals came to be the standard for births. The Rockefellers were able to cause the shutdown of all the holistic schools of medicine, created hospitals, and needed continual clients to fill these new hospitals. So, the smear campaign for home births and midwives began. They would put pictures of creepy old ladies into newspapers saying, “Do you want this person to help you in labor?”
Hospitals are a business. Birth is a consistent flow of money. Hospitals want a quick turn around for patients, so they are more likely to rush the woman’s body to give birth, giving them Pitocin etc., rather than waiting for the woman’s body to be ready. OBGYNs are trained surgeons, and they are trained for performing C-sections. If there is a small risk for a certain complication, they err on being safe and inducing, but that can lead to other complications.
On a brighter note, hospitals seem to be much better than they were 7 years ago. When I had my first, there were no midwives in any hospitals. Now, it’s fairly common to have midwives and birthing tubs at hospitals, which is amazing. It’s an ideal, blended option for those who are on the fence between homebirth and hospital.
Why did you decline ultrasounds?
6 years ago I didn’t know much about ultrasounds. I wish I knew more and had declined them. I wish I didn’t feel the need to do every appointment, every ultrasound they suggested, every test etc. that they suggested. With my homebirth, they only let you have one ultrasound at 20 weeks, which you could decline too if you wanted.
Ultrasound is a form of high-frequency energy that reflects waves off the baby’s tissues. This contact can compress tissue. Ultrasounds can also increase temperature on a cellular level because the tissue absorbs the ultrasound energy.
There have been studies on animals for ultrasounds, and the risks found were: higher rate of underweight newborns, damage to fetal ear, prematurity, autism spectrum disorders, developmental dyslexia.
It’s important to know that there have not been well-controlled scientific investigations to determine the long-term risks of ultrasound use.
This is merely information, so that you can further your own study and come to your own decisions. Knowledge is the key to true, informed consent.
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Ultimately, I believe the less unnecessary intervention, the better. Do your own research, be informed, and feel confident in the decisions you make for you and your baby. And know that you can opt out. Think about the type of labor you want to have, and don’t be afraid to speak up. It is your freedom to create a birthing experience that is right for you, your baby, and your family.”
Please leave any comments/questions you have for Deanna and Mama-ish.
Let’s start a conversation!
